Charles Tran, founder of CreditDonkey.com, expressed surprise at the results. "Since one key indicator of addiction is denial, we didn't expect many respondents to raise their hands and announce, 'Yes! I'm a shopaholic!'" he said.

But the survey found that that 37% had felt guilt or shame after shopping, 21% had hidden purchases from their families, while 27% had checked their available credit at least once a week, all pointers to a possible compulsion.

In addition, almost half (47%) of respondents said they experienced a rush of excitement when they went shopping, while 32% were prone to buying things simply because they were on sale.

"Retail therapy", however, was not widespread, as only 11% said they frequently shopped in order to improve their mood.

But in a further hint at potential problems, 24% admitted to having items in their closets that were still in shopping bags or that had not yet had the price tags removed.

Profligate spending does not come without consequences, as 19% said they had frequent arguments over money. And a similar proportion said they used their credit cards to pay for items when they didn't have enough money.

This was a finding that alarmed Tran, who recommended that people unable to pay off their monthly balance should temporarily suspend card use for 30 days in order to help them distinguish between buying on impulse and buying on need.